1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates in general to wheels and, more particularly, to novel corrosion resistant drive, steer, and trailer wheels and associated films and/or layers. The present invention further relates to methods for manufacturing these wheels.
2. Background Art
Corrosion resistant compositions and associated products have been known in the art for years and are the subject of a plurality of patents and/or publications, including, for example: United States Patent Application Publication No. 2010/0015467 entitled “Method For Coating A Substrate And Coated Product,” United States Patent Application Publication No. 2009/0162544 entitled “Method Of Surface Coating To Enhance Durability Of Aesthetics And Substrate Component Fatigue,” U.S. Pat. No. 8,419,139 entitled “Tank Wheel Assembly With Wear Resistant Coating,” U.S. Pat. No. 6,881,491 entitled “Protective Fluoride Coatings For Aluminum Alloy Articles,” U.S. Pat. No. 6,872,425 entitled “Coated Vehicle Wheel And Method,” U.S. Pat. No. 6,656,607 entitled “Method For Anticorrosive Coating And Treatment Of Metal Parts,” U.S. Pat. No. 5,283,121 entitled “Corrosion And Abrasion Resistant Industrial Roll Coating With Non-Sticking Properties,” U.S. Pat. No. 4,895,887 entitled “Coating Composition And Wheel Coated With The Same For Vehicles,” and U.S. Pat. No. 4,763,392 entitled “Method Of Manufacturing A Totally Coated Tire Rim,” all of which are hereby incorporated herein by reference in their entirety—including all references cited therein.
United States Patent Application Publication No. 2010/0015467 appears to disclose a method of applying coatings to surfaces, wherein a gas flow forms a gas-powder mixture with a powder of a material selected from the group consisting of niobium, tantalum, tungsten, molybdenum, titanium, zirconium, nickel, cobalt, iron, chromium, aluminum, silver, copper, mixtures of at least two thereof or their alloys with at least two thereof or with other metals, the powder has a particle size of from 0.5 to 150 μm, an oxygen content of less than 500 ppm oxygen and a hydrogen content of less than 500 ppm, wherein a supersonic speed is imparted to the gas flow and the jet of supersonic speed is directed onto the surface of an object. The coatings prepared are used, for example, as corrosion protection coatings.
United States Patent Application Publication No. 2009/0162544 appears to disclose a method for surface coating products, especially vehicle wheels, to improve the durability of their aesthetics and structural integrity via increased resistance to impact, abrasion, soil (e.g., brake dust), corrosion and fatigue stresses. The method comprises applying a uniform clear coating layer to the surface of the substrate, and then applying a preceramic resin film to the coated substrate, where the preceramic resin film is uniformly applied and cured onto the coated substrate so as to result in a ceramic shell of about 3 microns to about 12 microns in thickness over the coated substrate. In another embodiment, the method for the surface coating of an aluminum alloy substrate comprises applying a uniform clear coating layer to the surface of the aluminum alloy substrate and then applying a preceramic resin film to the coated aluminum alloy substrate, where the preceramic resin film is uniformly applied and cured onto the coated aluminum alloy substrate so as to result in a ceramic shell of about 3 microns to about 12 microns in thickness over the coated aluminum alloy substrate.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,419,139 appears to disclose tank wheel assembly systems, methods, and apparatus. In one embodiment, a tank wheel assembly includes a first wheel and a second wheel. A first face of the first wheel faces a second face of the second wheel. A guide tunnel is defined by at least a portion of the first face and at least a portion of the second face. The guide tunnel has outer surfaces and is configured to receive a center guide of a tank tread. The guide tunnel and center guide at least partially maintain the tank tread of the tank wheel assembly. A wear resistant coating is located on at least a portion of the outer surfaces of the guide tunnel, restricts the center guide of the tank tread from abrading the outer surfaces of the guide tunnel, and has a thickness of at least about 0.025 inch.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,881,491 appears to disclose an aluminum alloy article that is cleaned to remove oxides and organic matter from a coatable surface, coated with a composition comprising an organic resin and a fluorine compound, and then heated to an elevated temperature to decompose the organic resin and at least a portion of the fluorine compound. After heating, the coated surface is left with a protective oxyfluoride film that prevents blistering and hydrogen pickup and promotes hydrogen degassing from the article.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,872,425 appears to disclose a method of coating a vehicle wheel to increase wear and corrosion resistance of the vehicle wheel, including the steps of providing a vehicle wheel and applying a wear and corrosion resistant coating onto a surface of the vehicle wheel. The coating is applied to at least a tire bead retaining flange of the vehicle wheel. The coating is of particular use with vehicle wheels made of forged aluminum. The coating is selected from tungsten carbide, optionally including cobalt or chrome, a nickel-based super-alloy, aluminum and silicon carbide, or stainless steel. The coating is typically applied to a thickness of about 0.004-0.01 inches. The surface of the vehicle wheel may be prepared by mechanically abrading the surface or chemically etching the surface of the vehicle wheel. The coating may be applied by cold spraying, thermal spraying, or triboelectric discharge kinetic spraying and other similar processes.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,656,607 appears to disclose a method for producing an anticorrosive coating for metal parts, free of chromium and chromium-based derivatives and in particular hexavalent chromium, preferably to be applied in thin layers while providing highly efficient protection. Said coating consists of the synergistic association of a first metal zinc layer and one or several coating layers obtained by using an aqueous composition containing a particulate metal, an appropriate solvent, a thickening agent and a binder consisting of a silane.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,283,121 appears to disclose a coating comprising a non-porous textured corrosion resistant and abrasion resistant base layer of metal that is applied by a thermal flame spray process using a high-velocity oxy-fuel, and a top coating of a continuous film of fluoropolymer is used to enhance and protect the surface bare metal on industrial rollers in a multitude of industrial environments that are corrosive, abrasive or otherwise have elements present which tend to stick to the roller surface. The corresponding method comprises the steps of providing a body member having a relatively soft and corrodible metal first layer, applying a middle metal layer to the first layer by a high-velocity oxy-fuel type metal thermal spray process, applying an outer layer comprising a fluoropolymer coating over said middle layer to provide a non-sticking characteristic to the coating; and heating said outer layer to a level above the curing temperature of the fluoropolymer so as to bond the fluoropolymer to said middle layer.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,895,887 appears to disclose a coating composition comprising a colloidal silica, a partial condensate of organoalkoxysilane hydrolyzate, a polymer or a copolymer of unsaturated ethylenic monomers, a surface active agent and glycol derivatives, which is coated on a wheel for vehicles shows excellent properties such as adhesive property, filiform corrosion resistance, stain resistance, weather-resistance and impact resistance. A wheel coated with the coating composition for vehicles also shows properties such as filiform corrosion resistance, stain resistance, weather-resistance and impact resistance.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,763,392 appears to disclose a method of manufacturing a rust-proof, leak-proof and air-impervious welded tire rim by providing a pair of rim bodies each of which includes a peripheral bead and at least one of which includes a valve seat defined by an opening and with the rim bodies being welded to each other along an exterior circumferential weld; liquid-cleaning the welded rim; and applying to the entirety of all exposed surfaces of the rim an air-impervious coating of resilient copolymeric material whereby any porosity of the circumferential weld is sealed against air migration and the rim beads and valve seat are all totally coated with a resilient air-impervious coating for effectively sealing against air migration in association with a tire bead and an air valve body, respectively.
While anticorrosion compositions, solutions and associated products disclosed supra have been known in the art for years, issues associated with durability, cost, safety, efficiency, and selection, among others, remain largely problematic and/or unsolved. As such, there remains a genuine demand for novel products, including wheels, that comprise durable and cost effective anticorrosion layers/films enabling, among other things, extended warranties for customers.
These and other objects of the present invention will become apparent in light of the present specification, claims, chemical structures, chemical formulae, and drawings.